Good to see you yesterday, Steve. Am hoping the climbing did my legs some good, although at the moment I think "damage" is what it really did to themQuote:
Originally Posted by stevefoster
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Good to see you yesterday, Steve. Am hoping the climbing did my legs some good, although at the moment I think "damage" is what it really did to themQuote:
Originally Posted by stevefoster
Good to see you too Ian, after leg 3 for Derby Tup last weekend then OCT i'm hoping the same, but walking downstairs is a bit dodgy and looks pretty daft.Quote:
Originally Posted by IWCharters
Oh well, no pain, no gain:)
The second time I've spent my birthday doing this race. My partner and I were going really well (he's lost a stone since last year and is now super fit just to put some pressure on) but I got tired heading down to Cockley Beck then was thrown off my feet with cramp coming down COM. Was glad to get off there in that weather but could only muster a hobble back to Langdale in 9.35 - 5 mins off a PB. Still, we were chuffed to win a mug for 2nd V80 team back :w00t:
Another fantastic day - big thanks to all the organisers and helpers, especially those marshals out in that weather!
Just in case you haven't looked at other thread Ive posted this here as well!
Congratulations to everyone who completed the Old County Tops yesterday in conditions that couldn't have been any more different from last year. A big thanks from me to all the marshalls and helpers from Achille Ratti and Raynet - without you we have no race. It is fantastic to see runners still smiling at the finish - makes it all worth while as far as I am concerned. Next year's race is on May 19th. Hope to see you there.
PS One negative - the runner who left his partner after Cockley Beck and span a yarn to the marshalls on Coniston Old Man and Three Shires Stone - this is breaking one of the golden safety rules of the event - you are not welcome at next year's race.
What a daft thing to do. No chance of me leaving my partner, even a marshall called her gorgeous. Thought he was talking about me till i realised i was hallucinating after the first climb!Quote:
Originally Posted by Chips
Smiling more at the finish, grinning weakly at the start;)
Welldone to all who got round this, to misquote that bloke of the telly, fellrunning doesn't get tougher than this! Particular congrats to Muddy Clare for the win, and to Steve for believing in himself enough to think he was being called gorgeous!
Aw thanks Col! I feel a bit dishonest as loads of ladies finished ahead of us, we were just the first pair. My first trophy though, so I'm not complaining :)
Thanks to all involved in this year's race. What a friendly, well managed and low-key event- wish more were like this.
just like to echo all the above comments, great race, great people, and fantastic organisation by the Achille Ratti.
Oh and a special mention for the egg sarnies at cockley beck!
Missed the egg sarnies, jam sarnies never tasted better at Whythburn and had a cheese sarnie at the finish that was just bloody perfect. Hope the egg sarnies are there next year!
I'm the guy who got left by his partner. It was pre arranged as he had to be in Manchester by eight to see a Roger Waters concert.(If you're old enough you'll know who he is). At £80 a ticket it was leave me or get a divorce. I'd had a groin injury since Wythburn and we'd slipped behind our planned schedule. As I was with a team from P & B who I knew there wasn't a safety problem. So before you chunter about spinning yarns get your facts right. I've known the guy for donkeys years and we've helped each other on the B.G. We've both got bags of experience and neither of us would consider running with someone who would deliberately leave us behind.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chips
Ditto, and great to catch up with you again Martin.Quote:
Originally Posted by castlehill
:thunbdown:I disagree the rules state quite clearly. Quote: Rule 3 The race is run in pairs who must stay together throughout the race. If a competitor has to retire his/her partner is expected to remain with the retiree. All retiring pairs MUST report to the finish. And if you were the lone runner flaundering about around Great Carrs, and waiting for me and my partner to guide the way, then your experience must have deserted you along with common sense, but then you were along way off piste if the BG route is your forte. Not only were you putting yourself in jeapardy but possibly the future of the O.C.T. if something had gone wrong.Quote:
Originally Posted by whome
Sorry, but the marshal at COM was told by your partner that you were a couple of minutes behind, you turned up twenty minutes later. The marshal believed that a deliberate attempt had been made to decieve him so that your partner could continue on his own. The marshall then reluctantly had to make the decision to let your partner proceed on his own because if he'd held him any longer he would likely have got exposure. The correct thing to do under the circumstances you were in would have been to pull out at Cockley Beck. Having a deadline to get home by, when anything can go wrong, is far from ideal.Quote:
Originally Posted by whome
We keep rules to an absolute minimum in this event, but this one we do stick to, for the safety of all competitors and the future of the event (as stated above).
I wouldn't apologise Chips. It's absolutely clear this is a team event and this year (unlike last year) individual team members were at much greater risk on the later stages of the race. Yes, you might go out for a run on your own in those conditions, and why not - I would, but this was part of a race . . .
;);) CaLM DOWN FOLKS!
Clearly a case of oxygen shortage and lactic acid overload affecting the decision-making process and that was just the Roger Waters choice. And £80!, cor! that takes my breath away. So I guess dropping out at Cockley Beck might have been a harder choice than some would think. Most would presume that Cockley Beck is closer to Langdale but when your knackered and the 'keep going' button is fully pressed making the right decision is more difficult but mistakes are always forgiveable, even when you're on the higher ground. Nobody died and maybe a lesson will be learned.
Well said Alf. Great day. Big thanks and a hats off to AR and all the marshalls. Especially the lady hanging out of the car window,clapping us and egging us on down Wrynose pass when we were hanging out!
Well done to all who ran.
Anybody know when results will be out?
Totally Agree Grump but unfortuanately there's too much Social niceities in our sport with regard to rules and enforcing them.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheGrump
If some one breaks a rule they should be disq! end off! If it's a serious breech that could put others at risk they should be banned!
I'm all for freedom of the hills and thats how it should be but if you run a race, you run by the the RO/FRA rules.
Have the "team" in question had their names listed in the results as DQ'd (rather than DNF'd or Retired)?
Do we know whether they're banned from future OCT's?
That there lady was my partner Denise. She is always enthusiastic ( knowing exatly what its like herself)
Unfortuantley for me I didnt get the same entusiastic support, just a sympathetic arm round the shoulder. I had to call it a day at the three shires stone ( what a whimp)
Having battled back from C.O.M. in top 20 spot, I navigated Dawsy and I in to the crags above Hard Knot pass. It cost us at least 40 minutes as I got terrible cramp and stomach trouble. By the time I dragged myself up the pass I just couldn't face carrying on.
What a whalley - Will be back for more next year. Still unfinished business. having cocked it up twice now appologies to Dawsy
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gypsy'sDog
Bad luck Dalo, and thanks to Denise for cheering me and Gerry on at Grisedale Tarn and Cockley Beck, as Tesco's says 'Every little helps':)Quote:
Originally Posted by Moorlander
Roger WatersQuote:
Originally Posted by whome
Now didn't He write Brain Damaged.
Thought I would print the lyrics for those few who haven't heard Darkside of the moon.
The lunatic is on the grass
The lunatic is on the grass
Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs
Got to keep the loonies on the path
The lunatic is in the hall
The lunatics are in my hall
The paper holds their folded faces to the floor
And every day the paper boy brings more
And if the dam breaks open many years too soon
And if there is no room upon the hill
And if your head explodes with dark forbodings too
I'll see you on the dark side of the moon
The lunatic is in my head
The lunatic is in my head
You raise the blade, you make the change
You re-arrange me 'till I'm sane
You lock the door
And throw away the key
There's someone in my head but it's not me.
And if the cloud bursts, thunder in your ear
You shout and no one seems to hear
And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes
I'll see you on the dark side of the moon
Moorlander, I assume you mean Wrynose Pass. That crag you came up across is Mart crag, by Hell Gill, aptly name for a very good reason! You are not the first one to make that mistake. If one drops below the small path from the col to Little Carrs, they find their way barred by Hell Gill and in limited visibility they might try to go lower in order to get through. This is a mistake, as the best option remaining then is to drop to the road. In 1994 Steve Cliff and I were leading the race from Cockley Beck and in the clag we did just that. We ran up the road to the three Shires stone and on to finish a close but disappointed third!Quote:
Originally Posted by Moorlander
Yiannis
I was hanging out the car window clapping folks down off Wet Side Edge. I've had enough of the 'first lady runner' comments. My hair was cut short. You simply cannot have mistaken me for a woman, please! Unless the person you refer to was someone other than me...Quote:
Originally Posted by Gypsy'sDog
Oh, and Whome? Just read your post; you and your mate sound like a couple of selfish, thoughtless numpties who can't follow some basic instructions. Please don't turn up to any of the races organised by myself or my Club, I don't think you'd be welcome.
Yes, Yiannis you are right on all of these points. Im still really sick with myself for making this Gaff though, given I know the ridge well enough. I should have got my compass out before it was to late and Hell Gill was up on us.
ive hung my head in shame all week..........but back out this week end
Quote:
Originally Posted by ydt
Hi DaleQuote:
Originally Posted by Moorlander
I was looking out for you at the start but didnt spot you. I assumed you hadnt made the start and were the person dawsy was referring to when looking for a replacement partner late on last week. Will see you at Ants Paddy next week.
Simon
How ironic that Rodger Waters left his writing partner because of his own selfish insecurities and then spent the next few years spinning a yarn :)
I was looking for you to. Not at the finish though, I was to busy hanging my head in shame.................. Back to the Lakes this week end though so a chance to redeem myself.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Corniceman
Within the next few days according to the website http://www.achille-ratti-climbing-cl...oldcountytops/Quote:
Originally Posted by Corniceman
Nice touch 'hugely' thanking all those who took part.
'Huger' thanks to all those who organised and marshalled it:thumbup:
I wasn't going to bother coming back to this but after a mate told me of some of the comments I thought I'd have a look. I only came across this thread by accident in the first place after following a link while looking for results. I don't normally bother with the forum for two reasons. One is the sheer banality of a lot what passes for conversation on here. The other is the sanctimonious, holier than thou, I never break a rule attitude of a lot of people taking part.
The next time some of you are hammering down a motorway at 90mph and fiddling with your cd player/talking on your phone/eating a butty, maybe give a thought about safety and breaking rules. I know we broke a rule, and I don't mind getting a ticking off from the organisers but that is as far as it goes. By the way, what's this about 'golden' rules. I thought rules were rules. Or are they graded nowadays, gold, silver and bronze maybe. For a gold, an outright ban, a silver, possibly three across the backside with a large studded fell shoe and for a bronze you get your gels confiscated. Don't take that as gospel though. You forumites feel free to bat that back and forth between yourselves for the next six months.
For the record we weren't trying to gain any advantage or cheat in any way. How could we? And I have to say the marshalls didn't make a big drama of it and the nice lady at the finish merely said it was a shame my mate had to rush off.
When he left me we were up on the ridge on the way to Coniston with a pair from Pudsey, who we knew, and a guy from Ratti who was on his own and said he was doing the last section. My mate took off with him and I stayed with the Pudsey lads almost to the finish. At no time was I on my own. So Studmark, (bet that name took some thinking up), whoever you found floundering around on his own wasn't me. As for the time gap on Coniston, we should have been a couple of minutes behind him, but we went on a bit far and had to retrace our steps.
He didn't lie, I didn't die.
I shan't be reading or writing any more about this.
It's all yours girls............I'm off to listen to some Roger Waters..........maybe Comfortably Numb..........much like some of your brains.
Nothing nasty happened, but it could have. The rules are there to protect both the participants and the ROs.
Results including all the splits now up on the Achille Ratti site
...which all rather smells of someone who'll be back for a sneaky check to see what's been written on the forum! Bless.Quote:
Originally Posted by whome
On a positive note, what a cracking time by that Ambleside pair in them conditions, well done to em by someone trailing a good few hours behind but happy to finish:thumbup:Quote:
Originally Posted by theNoor
So, to continue your example, if I get caught speeding at 90mph whilst eating a sandwich and changing my cd player, I have the good grace to hold my hands up and admit I broke the rules and deserve what's coming to me. Fancy trying the same, showing a bit of humility and remorse and recognising, more than anything, that the RACE ORGANISER was upset with your actions and has said not to bother coming back. That's the key. It doesn't who else said what or did what on the day, you flouted the rules knowingly and you've been told you're not welcome in future.
Quote:
Originally Posted by whome
Although you want be reading this:wink: I will reply anyway I presume looking at the results you are team no 42 who were DQF which I believe was the same number the runner I saw had, if you were trying to gain an advantage that's not the point here and don't give a monkeys if you were, the fact is you blatantly and deliberately flaunted the safety rules, if something had gone wrong it would be the organiser at the inquest explaining why he and the marshals had let you carry on.Quote:
Originally Posted by whome
By the way Studmarks was the best name I could come up with at the time traveling down the motorway at 90 eating a butty trying to put Pink Floyd on the cd player:rolleyes: and if you are thinking of entering a particular AL fell race on Pendle at the beginning of May next year don't bother turning up you wont be welcome, anyway I have heard David Gilmour might be touring around then and wouldn't want you to miss it!
What a sad state of affairs, first off breaking an obvious rule for this race, then making your own up as you go along. Then coming on here and and having a dig at everyone, where's it got them, not welcome at loads of races. Not good for two blokes that are experienced, good fellrunners. To be honest you've only got yourselves to blame, understand your annoyed and upset by what happened, but your attitude is a bit childish. Usually when iv'e done something wrong an apology works a dam sight better than a tantrum.
Agree, it's a shame.
But apart from all that, it sounds an amazing event from the comments and the pictures. One for the ever-growing shortlist. I hope petrol prices have come down a bit by then to make monthly trips to the Lakes a bit easier to explain:)
Cheers! But we were relieved to have beaten that awful rain. Anybody having to run into that on their way towards the Old Man needed more strength than we had to find.Quote:
Originally Posted by stevefoster